Transmission mechanism.



J. L. ISH.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1907.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911'.

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J. L. ISH.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1907.

"Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

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TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION nmmnov. e, 1907.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

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Zfz messes I 2 UNITED STATES JOHN L. ISH, OF RAND, COLORADO.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. ISH, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Rand, in the county of Larimer and State of 0010- rado, temporarily residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Transmission Mechanism, of which the followmg is a specification.

An object of this invention is to provide for automobiles, motor trucks, motor cars and like vehicles, a practical four wheel drive, in which the the ground wheels 0 the car from the driving shaft of a prime mover, as an internal combustion or steam engine carried by the spring-supported body or frame of the car; the means for transmitting the power being highliv anti friction and simple and strong an not liable to get out of order or toreadily break; at the same time allowing the power to be transmitted with small frictional loss regardless of the relative ositions of the wheels in turning the vehic eat corners and elsewhere.

An object is to provide, a four-wheel drive for motor cars, motor-trucks, and the like which has superior features as to simplicity, strength, lightness, and direct application ofpower with minimum friction and wear.

In carrying out the invention I employ novel forms of universal joint as parts of m invention, the same being constructed to afford su erior torsional strength, extensibility .an flexibility, with a given weight of metal; and at the same time to afford ballbearings forthe joints; thus to minimize the friction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmental plan of the invention as applied in an automobile, or motor car, some of the parts, also the body of, and the motor for, the car being omitted. Fig. 2 is a fragmental axial section partly in a. horizontal, and artly in a vertical plane. showing at the rlght of the view parts of the invention that are duplicated by p'ortions of the device that are broken away and omitted from the left of the View. The parts of the view connected by braces are 1n plan section, and the portion of the view shown at the upper right-hand corner and connected by arrows with the rest of the view, is in sectional elevation relatively displaced, and illustrates one of the flexible Specification of Letters Patent.

l ower is transmitted to Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Application filed November 6, 1907. Serial No. 401,039.

joints of the front axle and shaft. The horizontal line m w Fig. 3, indicates the plane of horizontal section, and the vertical lines w a2 Figs. 3 and (5 indicate the plane of vertical section. Fig. 3 is a fra entary elevation in transverse section on Til ie indicated by av -w, Figs. 1, 2 and 4; showing the construction of the flexible joint of the front axle and shaft. Fig.4 is a detail of a flexible joint for the front axle. Fig. 5 is a section on line indicated b tu -m Figs. 1, 2 and 4; the head andbal s of the joint being intact. Fig. 6 is asectional detail on plane indicated by w-m, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on line (m -w, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 8 is a broken, sectional detail of the universal sli -joint in the connection .between the drivlng shaft and the front axle. Fig. 9 is a sectlon on line indicated by w-a: Fig. 8.

1 is a driving shaft; 2, an axially-shiftable driven shaft. 3 designates variable speed transmission earing intermediate said driving shaft and said driven shaft. 4 desi nates power-transmitting sprocket whee s loose on said driven shaft. In a general way 5 designates a jointed axle, and 6 a jointed shaft inside said axle, said axle forming a casing for said shaft. 7 designates ground wheels mounted on knuckles or end sections 8 of said axle, and surrounding and connected with end sections 9 of said jointed shaft. 10 is another axle, and 11 ground wheels journaled thereon. The jointed axle 5 is the front axle, and the other axle 10 the rear axle of the automobile or motor car.

12 in a general way designates means for connecting the driven shaft 2 with the jointed shaft 6.

13 and 14 designate means for connecting the power-transmitting wheels 4 with the ground wheels 11; 14 representing sprocket wheels fixed to the ground wheels 11, and 13 representing sprocket-chains connecting the power-trailsmitting sprocket wheels 4, with the sprocket wheels 14.

15 in a general way designates means controllable by the axial, shifting of the driven shaft 2 for clutching the power-transmitting sprocket wheels 4.

16 in a general wa designates means for controlling the varia' le s eed mechanism 3.

17 in a general way designates the car. the springs and a portion of'the frame of which are shown.

It is to be understood that the driving this is likewise true offthe means 16 for controlling said variable speed mechanism.

the form of the wheels 7 through the medium of than the 'The jointed rotatable shaft 6 consists of a swiveled section 9 and a rotatable section 18 and is carried by the jointed axle 5 which supports the front springs s of the car,

19 desi ates pocketed drums fixed to the outer en s of the end sections 9 of the jointed rotatable shaft and provided with a plurality of ockets 20 in which, means, in

alls 21, are carried for clutchnotched ratchet collars 22 of said wheels, the notches 23 of which collars, gradually deepen outwardly and terminate abruptly at one end, so that when the wheel rotates in one direction, relative to the shaft' any ball that enters a notch will ride on the incline, thus allowing free rotation of the wheel, and when the shaft rotates to overtake the wheel the ball will en a e between the abrupt end of the notch an t e wall of its pocket, thus to drive the wheel so long as the tendency of the shaft to rotate is greater than that of the wheel. The driven shaft 2 is likewise provided with pocketed drums 24 having pockets 25 for balls 26 that en age reverselynotched .collars 27 having orwardly and rearwardly directed" driving notches- 28 and 29 in parallel planes for alternately driving the rear ground wheels 11 forwardly or rearwardly as occasion requires.

Each ratchet collar 22 is arranged to be clutched toits shaft section 9 whenever the jointed shaft tends to rotate at higher speed wheel 7, and to become released I when the tendency of the wheel. is to' rotate ground.

'of its drum 24 into clutching drive the power transmitting sprocket at greater speed than the shaft, thus to com- 'ensate for difierence of speed between outside and inside corner.

Means are provided for shifting the driven shaft 2 axially to bring the balls 26 position to front wheels in turning a wheels 4 in one and the other direction to propel the rear ground wheels 11 and the car forward or backward as may be required.

By referenceto Figs-2 and 7 itmay be seen that when the shaft 2 is shifted to the right, as in Fig.2, a ball'26- will engage the abrupt end of'a ratchet notch 28 whenever the tendency of the driven shaft 2 torotate in the direction of the curved arrow, is greater than that of the wheel 4: that is connected by the sprocket chain 13 with the rear wheel 11 that is to be driven topropel the car forward; and that in'c'ase the wheels 11 tendto run faster than the shaft 2, the balls will ride on the sloping floors of .teeth of the cam on the notches, thus speed in'turnin a corner while the car is running forwar By shifting the shaft 2 to the left in Fig. 2, the balls are brought into position to engage the notches 29 to drive the wheels 11 backward, and to allow either or both of them to rotate backward at a greater speed than that of the driven shaft.

The means for notched collars 30 within which the. shaft 2 rotates freely, and which are mounted to partially rotate outside two variable s eed transmission gear disks 31, 32, that are 'xed to the driven shaft 2 to transmit motion to said'shaft from gear wheels of the driving shaft 1.

Each of the cams 30is mounted between a disk and a stationary cam 33 one on one side and the other on the other side of the variable speed transmission gear 3 and said allowing for difierence of shifting the driven shaft, 2 endwise comprises two cams in the form of cams 30 are adapted to act on antifrict-ion thrust rings 34.- that engage the disks 31 and 32 to shift the same and the driven laterally of the driving wheels 35, 36, 37 thus. to bring the required gear disk,31 or 32 into position to receive power from a gear wheel for forward or rearward propulsion. The gear wheels 35, 36 and 37 are-shiftable into and out of pos1- tion for engagementwith toothed faces of said disks.

The forward dIIVG dlSk 31 is provided with three annular toothed faces 38, 39, 40

gear wheels 35, 36, 37, respectively for low, intermediate and high speed, while the rear drive disk 32 has a single annular toothed face 41 to engage the low speed gear wheel 35. I I

1 The gear wheels 35, 36, 37 are splined on the driving shaft and are separately shiftto engage the .able thereon by connections 16 so that any be brought into and the one of them may for engagement with others out of osition the forward speed gear wheel 35 may be brought into position for engagement with the rearward drive disk 32.

The cams 30 may be simultaneously ro-. tated thespace of a tooth by means a and are so arranged that the teeth of the cam on one side of the disks willinterlock whenthe disk 31 with a gear wheel of the driving shaft, the balls 26 are in position to engage shaft 2' shaft 1 and its gear rive .gear disk, an'dthe low the other sideof said '44. through antifriction bearings 45.

The power transmitting means or con ncctlon 12 consists 111 a universally ointed :extensible shaft formed in three'sections 44. "46 and 47 connected by universal oints s and 49 respectively, the former corresponding in construction to the universal joint shown in Fig.4. and the latter correspoi'lding to the slipjoint shown in Fig. 8. In this universal joint as shown in Figs. 3, -land 5, 50 is a pocketed cup fixed on the end of the shaft marked 18. in Fig. 4.

51 is a grooved spherical head on the shaft section, marked 9, in F 4.

is a cap screwed onto the cup 50 and closing the outer ends of the pockets 53 to retain antifriction power-transmitting balls and provided with an internal lip to retain the head 51 which is provided with grooves 56 that extend longitudinally of the shaft and receive portions of the balls 54, so that said balls extend across the joint between the head and the cup and prevent rotation of the headed shaft section 9 relative to the cup 50 and the shaft section 18; while. at the same time, either of the two shafts may be deflected from axial alinement with the other as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

By this arrangement a part of the flexible rotary power transmitting means between the driven shaft and the jointed rotary shaft 6 is perfected. Further provision for flexibility and also for extensibility is made by means of the slip joint shown in Figs. 8 and 9 in which the cup 57011 the end of shaft section 46 is provided with grooves 58 that extend longitudinally relative to the shaft 46, and said shaft section 47 has a spherical head 59 provided with concave pockets 60 that seat balls 61 which extend across the joint formed between the perimeter of the head 59 and the inside wall of the cup 57, thus to allow relative deflection and endwise shifting of the sections 46 and 47, but at the same time preventing rotative movement of one section relative to the other.

62, 63, 64 and 65 designate bevel gears for transmitting rotary movement from the driven shaft 2 to the extensible flexible shaft and thence to the jointed rotary shaft.

In practice, the car-frame 17 is carried by the springs s, s, which are carried by the front and rear axles 5 and 10 in the usual way, and the engine, the shaft 1 of which is shown in 'Figs. 1 and 2, together with the variable speed transmission gear 23 and driven shaft 2, is carried by the frame 17 between which and the axles 5 and 10 there occurs in the ordinary course of travel.

a relative up-and-down movement and more or less deflections in other directions. All these movements are accommodated by the flexible and extensible transmitting means 12, and power is thereby transmitted from the driven shaft to the jointed shaft and the wheels 7 sinmltaneously driven forward in any direction so long as the tendency of the wheels to rotate is less than that of the shaft 6; but by reason of the ratchet connections said wheels are free to rotate inde pendently of the shaft. 6 or of each other. At the same time, the shaft 2 drives the rear wheels 11, either or both of which may rolate at accelerattal speed without interference with the speedof the driven shaft or of each other. By shifting the driven shaft to the left. and throwing the rear drive gear-wheel 35 into mesh with the rear drive disk 32, the motion of shaft 2 is reversed and the power is then transmitted to the rear wheels to drive the same backward, and at the same time the front axle 6 is driven backward, thus allowing the front wheels to run backward in accordance with the wheels 11, and in turning a curve the inside one of the wheels 7 may lag behind, and the outside one of the wheels 11 may speed ahead of the shaft 2, thus to compensate for ditference of distance to he traveled by the wheels on the opposite sides of the vehicle in the act of turning.

The shaft sections 9 are dirigible by means of the knuckle sections 8 cont-rolled by the connected levers 66 which may be operated by the usual means, not shown, under the control of the driver of the car.

I claim 1. A driving shaft, an axially-shiftable driven shaft, variable speed transmission gearing intermediate said driving shaft and said driven shaft,power-transmittin wheels loose on said driven shaft, a jointe axle, a jointed shaft inside said axle, wheels mounted on sections of said axle and surrounding and connected with sections of said shaft, another axle, wheels journaled thereon, means for connecting said driven shaft with said jointed shaft, means connecting said power-transmitting wheels with the wheels of said other axle, and means controllable by the axial shifting of said driven shaft for clutching said power"-transmitting wheels to transmit power to said wheels of said other axle in either a forward or rearward direction.

2. A, driving shaft, an axially-shiftable driven shaft, variable speed transmission gearing intermediate said driving shaft and 1 means carried by said pockets for lockin said driven shaft, power-transmitting wheels loose on said driven shaft, means for clutching said power-transmitting wheels with said driven shaft, rotatable shaft sections, wheels surrounding and connected with ,said sections, an axle,

means for transmitting power from said driven shaft to said, rotatable shaft section's, means for transmitting power from said power-transmitting wheels to said journaled wheels, and means for controlling said clutching means.

3. A rotatable shaft, a casing therefor, wheels loose on said casing, means for connecting said wheels with said shaft, an axle, wheels thereon, a shiftable driven shaft intermediate said rotatable shaft and said axle, means connected to transmit power from said driven shaft to said rotatable shaft and to the wheels of said axle, said connected means being controllable by the shifting of said driven shaft whereby to impart movement in either a forward or a rearward direction, and transmissiomgearing in operative relation to said ,driven shaft for driving the same.

4:. The combination with a driving shaft, of a plurality of gears shiftably mounted thereon, means for shiftin said gears with respect to said driving shaft, a driven shaft, gears on said driven shaft, sprockets on said driven shaft, means for shifting said driven shaft and the gears mounted thereon for causing rotation and reversal of said. sprockets, a rotatable shaft, sections jointed thereto, wheels on said sections, an axle, wheels journaled thereon, means for connecting said rotatable shaft with the driven shaft, and the wheels of said axle with the sprockets on said driven shaft.

5. A driving shaft, a driven shaft, drums on said driven shaft having rows of peripheral pockets, sprockets loose on said drums,

wheels journaled thereo n,

said sprockets on said drums in a forwari l or rearward direction, a rotatable jointed shaft, wheels loose thereon, means for locking said wheels on said shaft, an axle, wheels journaled thereon, means for transmitting motion from said driven shaft to said rotatable shaft, and means for transmitting motion from said sprockets to the wheels of said axle.

6.. The combination with a driving shaft and a driven shaft, of variable speed transmission gearing mounted intermediate said driving shaft and said driven shaft, sprockets loose 011 said driven shaft, a jointed shaft, wheels loose thereon, an axle, wheels journaled thereon, an extensible shaft and gearing connecting said driven shaft with said jointed shaft, means connecting the sprockets with the wheels of said axle, and means for locking said sprockets on said driven shaft only when the speed of the.

driven shaft tends to exceed the speed of the sprockets.

7. The combination with a hollow axle, of

sectional and rotatable shaft, drums on the ends thereof, wheels loosely journaled on the drums, clutchingchambers in said drums, balls in said chambers adapted to lock the wheels to said drums when a jointed the wheel is rotating faster than the axle,

another axle, wheels Journaled on said axle, a driven shaft intermediatesaid rotatable shaft and said other axle, and connected to transmit power to said rotatable shaft and to the wheels on said other axle, and means for driving said driven shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my-ha'nd at Los Angeles California this 30th day of October 1907.

JOHN L. ISH.

In presence of- ANTON GLOETZNER, JAMES R. TOWNSEND. 

